FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms Vol. 14 No. 204 | BHOPAL | MONDAY | JANUARY 6, 2025 | Pages 12 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 FREE www.freepressjournal.in Sports Gavaskar left disappointed over invitation snub P.10 fp Briefs NEW DELHI 4 Maoists killed in Chh’ garh At least four Maoists were killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region, an official said on Sunday, adding that a jawan also died in action. A head constable of the District Reserve Guard (DRG), Sannu Karam, died in the encounter, which broke out on Saturday evening in a forest in south Abujhmaad. The encounter began when a joint team of security personnel was on an antiMaoist operation, said an official. BHUJ Train runs over woman, 2 sons A 30-year-old woman and her two sons, including a two-month-old infant, were killed after they were run over by a train in Gujarat's Kutch district, police said on Sunday. The incident occurred near Bhimasar railway station on Friday night when the Kutch Express train was on its way to Mumbai, said an official from Gandhidham railway police station. NEW DELHI 4 dead in J&K road accident Four passengers died in a road accident in Paddar, Kishtwar district, Jammu and Kashmir, on Sunday. Two other people, including the driver, have been reported missing. Rescue operations were launched immediately upon receiving the information. ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: BHOPAL PTI Two pilots and an aircrew diver of an Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) of the Indian Coast Guard were killed when the chopper crashed and caught fire at Gujarat's Porbandar airport on Sunday, government authorities said. The crew members killed in the accident are Commandant Saurabh, Deputy Commandant SK Yadav and Manoj Pradhan Navik, according to the defence ministry. Porbandar Superintendent PUNE INDORE NASHIK MONEY Public reps’ visit debunks ‘container missing’ rumour PTI SYDNEY The legendary Sunil Gavaskar on Sunday expressed his displeasure after not being invited to present the trophy, named after him and Allan Border, to Australia following their win over India in the high-voltage five-match rubber. Australia reclaimed the Border-Gavaskar trophy after 10 years with a six-wicket win over India in the fifth and final Test. "I certainly would have loved to have been there for the presentation. After all it is the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and it is about Australia and India," Gavaskar was quoted as saying by Code Sports."I mean, I am here on the ground. To me it should not matter that Australia won when it comes to the presentation.” See Sports (Top) SDM holds chouplal in Pithampur; a delegation of public representatives which visited Ramky unit pal in Tarpura village. The inspection confirmed that all 12 containers were accounted for, dispelling rumours of a missing container. SDM Gurjar, executive magistrate Jayesh Pratap Singh, BJP Mandal president Ganesh Jaiswal, Pithampur Bachao Samiti convener Hemant Hirole, SDM Gurjar held a gram choupal with Tarpura villagers, assuring them that the waste would not be burned without their consent and urging them to ignore rumours. The villagers said that if the local administration had engaged with them before the arrival of the waste, the controversy could have been avoided, highlighting the importance of communication between officials and the community. lawyer Rajesh Chaudhary and city Congress president Banshi Verma reached the company premises in the afternoon. 4Continued on | P6 BJP leader's Days after Lalu's offer, comes a snub from Nitish remarks on Priyanka spark PTI controversy PATNA Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday snubbed the RJD, headed by his archrival Lalu Prasad, stating that he had forged alliances "by mistake" with the opposition party which "did nothing" while in power. The JD(U) supremo made the remark days after Prasad, a former CM himself, had claimed that the RJD was keeping its "doors open" for the former ally, who is now back in the BJP-led NDA. Talking to reporters in the north Bihar district of Muzaffarpur, as part of a state-wide Pragati Yatra, Kumar said, "Those who were in power before us... did they do anything? People used to fear stepping out of their homes after sunset. I had by mistake aligned with them a couple of times." "What was the condition of women back then? Today you can see PTI NEW DELHI these self-help groups, which we gave the name 'Jivika'. The Centre replicated our model and called it 'Ajivika'. Did you see such confident rural women earlier?" asked the longest-serving CM of the state. Kumar, however, did not take questions about the cryptic "offer" from Prasad, which was made light of by the RJD supremo's son and heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav, but endorsed by ally Congress. Prasad's comments had come in the backdrop of Union Home Minister Amit Shah's equivocal stance on projecting Kumar as the chief ministerial candidate in the assembly polls due in less than a year. 4Continued on | P6 of Police Bhagirathsinh Jadeja said the helicopter was returning from a routine sortie and crashed while trying to land on the runway. The chopper crashed near the runway and caught fire. The blaze was later brought under control with the help of a fire tender, he said. The three crew members were brought out of the chopper and rushed to a hospital in Porbandar in a severely burnt condition, he said. The defence ministry said the ALH MK-III helicopter met with the accident at the airport's runway at around 12:15 pm. Senior BJP leader and party's candidate from Kalkaji, Ramesh Bidhuri, has yet again courted controversy by allegedly that after victory in the Delhi Assembly polls next month, he will develop smooth roads in the constituency like Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi's "cheeks". No reaction of Bidhuri was available over his remarks and the attack on him by the Congress. "I assure you that just as we made the roads in Okhla and Sangam Vihar, we will make all the roads in Kalkaji like Priyanka Gandhi's cheeks," Bidhuri is heard saying in the purported video, which went viral on social media. Congress candidate from Kalkaji and Mahila Congress president Alka Lamba lashed out at Bidhuri and accused him of "insulting" women once again in his "usual indecent language". "Will the public in Kalkaji have such (a person) who cares neither for the dignity of the House (Parliament) nor respects the women," she said in a post on X. She demanded Bidhuri to tender a public apology for his statement and asked the senior BJP leaders to clear their stand on the issue. The Mahila Congress workers led by Lamba also torched an effigy of Bidhuri over his alleged statement against Gandhi. The statement was made by Bidhuri during campaigning in Kalkaji constituency on Saturday. offgrid $1 mn for deciphering Indus Valley script IANS CHENNAI Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has announced a prize of one million US dollars for archaeologists who can decipher and provide a coherent understanding of the Indus Valley Civilisation. This announcement was made during the inaugural ceremony of the International Seminar on the Centenary of the Discovery of the Indus Valley Civilisa- tion, held at the Government Museum in Egmore on Sunday. The three-day seminar has brought together renowned archaeologists, historians, and scholars from across the globe to discuss the civilisa- I-T raids on BJP ex-MLA, ex-corporator, associates Devda’s son, ex-min, MLA own land in Central Park: Patwari Gram choupal in Tarpura Bharat Dholi PITHAMPUR (MHOW) Gavaskar upset after not being invited to present BGT E-paper Brand Sutra Different Strokes For Different Folks P.12 UCC WASTE DISPOSAL | Delegation inspects toxic waste containers at incineration site in Pithampur, gives all clear Public representatives, along with sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Pramod Singh Gurjar, visited the Ramky Enviro Company in Pithampur on Sunday to inspect the chemical waste containers from the Union Carbide Company (UCC) amid ongoing protests and rumours regarding the incineration of this waste. The visit was in response to a viral social media message claiming that one of the 12 containers was missing and that its chemical waste was being incinerated. The public representatives were made to visit the company to ensure transparency and address public Delegation concerns regarding the disposal of waste. After the visit, SDM Gurjar also conducted a gram chou- MUMBAI Edit China’s Border Game P.8 Budget: CII’s 7-point agenda for employment generation 3 killed as Coast Guard helicopter crashes PORBANDAR/NEW DELHI UJJAIN PRESS tion's significance and its connections with Tamil Nadu. In his keynote address, Chief Minister Stalin highlighted that approximately 60 per cent of the symbols found on Indus Valley pottery are identical to those discovered on artefacts unearthed during excavations in Tamil Nadu. He emphasised that this striking similarity has sparked immense interest among scholars and could potentially unlock the mys- teries of the Indus Valley Civilisation. To further promote research in this field, the Chief Minister also announced a grant of Rs 2 crore to establish a research chair in the name of renowned archaeologist Iravatham Mahadevan. This chair will facilitate in-depth studies on the Indus Valley Civilisation, with a particular focus on its ties to Tamil Nadu. It may be noted that recent archaeological findings from Sivakalai in Tuticorin have brought researchers closer to establishing a definitive connection between Tamil Nadu and the Indus Valley Civilisation. Dating of these finds places them between 2500 BCE and 3000 BCE. Interestingly, the finds from Tamil Nadu suggest the presence of an Iron Age civilisation that ran parallel to the Indus Valley Civilisation, which spanned from 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE. Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL The Income Tax Department conducted raids on Sunday morning on former BJP MLA from Banda constituency, Harvansh Singh Rathore, and his close associates, including a former BJP corporator, in Sagar. The raids were part of an investigation into a tax evasion case. The raids, conducted at six to seven locations, uncovered piles of incriminating documents and investment-related paperwork. IT officers from Bhopal and Gwalior arrived in Sagar to carry out the operation, focusing on Rathore's residence and those closely linked to him. Among those involved were LIC agent Rakesh Chabra and trader-cumproperty dealer Rajesh Kesharwani. The timing of the raid has drawn attention, as Rathore is seen as one of the top contenders for the BJP’s Sagar district president position. His father, Harnam Singh Rathore, had served as the Jail Minister during Uma Bharti's tenure. Sources suggest that LIC agent Rakesh Chabra had close ties with Rathore and was known to lend money on interest to people in need. Rathore’s family is said to own several businesses and properties across the state and beyond, including one of the largest bidi industries. Rajesh Kesharwani, a former BJP corporator, also maintains multiple business interests and is closely associated with Rathore. Reports also indicate that the house of a retired officer was included in the raid. While the exact amount of tax evasion remains unclear, authorities expect more details to emerge in the coming days. The political landscape in Bhopal is abuzz after the explosive allegations made by State Congress President Jitu Patwari on Sunday. He claimed that several prominent persons, including Bhupendra Singh, son of Deputy Chief Minister Jagdish Devda, and BJP MLA Sudesh Rai, own expansive plots of land in Central Park. This park is currently being developed by builders Rajesh Sharma and Kunal Builders, raising serious concerns about potential corruption and favouritism in land dealings. Patwari took to Twitter to highlight the discrepancies in land ownership, pointing out that while Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan was denied construction permission on nearby land, significant corruption appears to be occurring with these plots. 4Continued on | P6 11-year-old girl killed, two injured as e-bike explodes FP News Service RATLAM A battery-operated electric scooter exploded in Ratlam’s P and T Colony on Sunday, killing an 11-year-old girl. The incident occurred at around 2:30 AM when the electric bike was being charged inside a two-storey house belonging to 67-year-old Bhagwati Lal Maurya, a retired railway employee. The explosion was so powerful that the entire house went up in flames. Neighbours awakened by the blast rushed to help and police and firefighters also arrived quickly to control the fire. Despite their efforts, the flames destroyed the lower floor of the house, along with household goods and another vehicle parked nearby. The girl, identified as Antara Chaudhary, had come to her maternal grandparents’ house with her parents to celebrate her younger sister’s birthday. During the fire, she was trapped inside the house. By the time she was rescued, she had suffered severe burns and was pronounced dead. Her maternal grandfather Bhagwati Lal Maurya and Drunk man killed as paver block thrown from terrace hits him Our Staff Reporter INDORE A man, who was in an inebriated condition and was abusing the public after teasing an anganwadi worker in Sadar Bazar area, died when a youth dropped a heavy object on his head from the third floor of a building there, police said on Sunday. Two people were arrested in connection with the murder. Later, in a sequel some people caused damage to a religious place. DCP (Zone-1) Vinod Kumar Meena informed media persons that the incident took place in Sikandrabad Colony at around 4 pm on Saturday. The deceased, identified as Babbar Morle (50), a resident of Gadrakhedi area of the city, misbehaved with an anganwadi worker and when people opposed this, he started abusing them. As per reports, he called his son who carried a knife and threatened people. Babbar also had an argument with some people standing on the third floor of the building. The incident was captured in the CCTV camera installed near the spot. In the footage, Babbar was seen hurling stones on the building when a youth dropped a paver block from the third floor which hit Babbar s head and he fell on the road. He was taken to hospital where he died during treatment late on Saturday. DCP Meena said that two people, Bittu alias Sabir and Alfaraz alias Allu, both residents of Sikandarabad Colony, were arrested. 4Continued on | P6 her 12-year-old cousin Lavanya were injured in the fire. Bhagwati Lal has been admitted to hospital with 15 to 20% burns. However, Lavanya was discharged. Antara’s parents and her sister Vidhi escaped unharmed. The family had gathered to celebrate Vidhi’s birthday just hours before the tragedy. Biden gives Soros top US award, Musk calls it travesty IANS NEW YORK Tesla CEO and close aide to President-elect Donald Trump, Elon Musk, joined the wave of online trolling directed at billionaire George Soros, following US President Joe Biden's decision to award him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honour in the US. Musk's meme post comparing Soros to a Star Wars villain has quickly gained traction across social media. The meme depicts Soros as Sheev Palpatine, also known as Darth Sidious, from the Star Wars saga. In the film series, Palpatine appears as a kind, democratic ruler while secretly plotting to take control of the galaxy as the Sith Lord Darth Sidious. Musk's meme suggested that Soros might similarly be hiding his true motives while presenting himself as a philanthropist.